I HAVE just returned from the council's planning meeting at the Town Hall,

where approval for new Cricket and Rugby League facilities in Westhoughton, together with the approval for housing on the existing Cricket Club land, was sought.

Westhoughton Cricket Club is now the proud possessor of planning permission for its new facilities at The Hoskers. Unfortunately, it doesn't have a hope of developing these since the majority of councillors knowingly and wilfully deprived the club of the necessary revenue which would have come from the sale of its existing ground.

In rejecting the application to build 83 houses on the current Cricket Club site, those who have objected and voted against this application have most probably sounded the death knell for Westhoughton Cricket Club and Westhoughton Rugby League Club. I hope they are very proud of themselves! To which address should I send the 200 or so children who are to be deprived of sporting facilities?

The Government claims to be concerned about the lack of participation in sport. The Government claims to be concerned about obesity in children. The Government claims to be promoting "joined up government". Meanwhile, a member of the Government's own party, the MP for Bolton West, Ruth Kelly, recommends the disapproval of this project.

One councillor asserted that their job was to regard the applications purely on the basis of the land issues and ignore the issues of finance and long term future of sport in the area. Who then can we approach who will demonstrate this so-called "joined up thinking" and look at the issue as a whole? Clearly not the council, and clearly not our local MP. Anybody with any suggestions on the answer to that will be gratefully listened to.

Another councillor claimed that funding for the regeneration of the existing Cricket Club should be found through grants. If grants are so readily available, perhaps this gentleman could point us in the right direction, because the people who specialise in these matters haven't been able to find them.

And, at the end of all this, when the planning permission has expired, what will happen to the land at The Hoskers? 450 houses seems likely. I don't know how some people sleep at night.

Kevin Davidson

Chairman,

Westhoughton Lions